A supply unit of the type described above has become known from EP-A 215,212. A track, which extends along the supply beam, consists of two parallel rails. On the track a slide with a support device for medical treatment instruments is guided. The track is arranged on the underside of a structural-tubing-type supply beam fastened to a ceiling. By displacing the slide along the track, the support device can be brought into a favorable position, e.g., to a patient bed. Supply connections, e.g., electric outlets, and couplings for medical gases, which are used for energy supply for the treatment instruments located on the support device, are arranged on the longitudinally extending side parts of the supply beam bent off toward the ceiling. The energy supply lines arriving from the treatment instruments are plugged into the supply connections on the supply beam.
The disadvantage of the prior-art supply unit is the fact that the displacement of the slide on the track may be hindered by excessively short energy supply lines, and these energy supply lines must be replaced with longer ones when necessary. This makes handling difficult during routine clinical operation. On the other hand, excessively long energy supply lines are also undesirable, because this makes the arrangement of the lines confusing and unwieldy.
A support device for medical instruments, which can be positioned by means of a carriage which is longitudinally displaceable on a track, has become known from German Utility Model No. DE-GM 83,04,407. Electrical supply lines are guided to the supply connections on the support device by means of a cable trolley, which is fastened to the track and is equally displaceable, so that the energy supply lines of the medical instruments can be directly connected to supply connections on the support device.
The disadvantage of this prior-art device is the fact that the unsupported line routing via the cable trolley is not desirable for reasons of case of cleaning and because of the appearance, and that it is suitable only for lightweight supply lines, e.g., electrical cables, but not for a bundle of tubes carrying medical gases.